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“Tidbits”

About

3rd

Grade

[pic]

The 3rd Grade Team

Mrs. Dowdy, Mrs. Giunchedi & Mrs. Marienau

2014-2015

This handbook includes information about…

Our Third Grade Philosophy

Purpose/Beliefs

Communication

Phone Calls/E-Mails

Conferences

Homework

Tidbits

3rd Grade Website

Friday Folders

Behavior Management

Daily Schedule

Reading

Spelling

Cursive

Specials

Writing

Computers

Lunch and Recess

Read Aloud

Interventions

Math

Social Studies

Science

Social Skills

Health

Miscellaneous Information

Star Student

Snacks

Absences

Vacation Travel

Testing

THIRD GRADE PHILOSOPHY

Parents are the most important people in childrens' lives! The third grade team is committed in making this school year a wonderful, positive experience for everyone. We firmly believe that if we work together as a team (parent, teacher, and child) we will ensure the maximum growth of each student. We believe communication is key!

PURPOSES AND BELIEFS

As your child enters third grade, he/she will find increased responsibility and become an independent learner and thinker. Our goal in third grade is to help each child develop a positive attitude about him/herself and the environment around him/her. We believe in the importance of developing a sense of respect and responsibility in each child. We also believe in a balance between cooperative and individual efforts on projects and assignments. We as a team, also think it is important to encourage children to establish goals for themselves. Through our teaching and support, we will help each child accomplish these tasks.

“A classroom, like a garden,

needs constant care and nurturing

to produce beautiful and steady growth.”

~Author Unknown

COMMUNICATION

Communication is an essential component of our program. This link between home and school is crucial. We believe it must be frequent and on-going if each and every child is to reach his/her full potential.

PHONE CALLS/E-MAILS

Please contact the main office or our direct phone lines in order to reach us. The main office has contact to our rooms and the times we are available. Please feel free to leave us voice mail messages. We will return your calls as soon as possible. You may also reach us through e-mail. In accordance with district policy, you should expect a response from us within 24 hours. If you require immediate communication, please contact the front office.

CONFERENCES

Fall conferences are scheduled for October 22nd and 23rd. This time has been set aside to meet with all parents/guardians. Your attendance at the scheduled time is greatly appreciated. In March, if there is a need to meet, a conference will be scheduled. We will not wait for these dates to express a concern, and we’d like to encourage you not to wait if you have a question or concern to share. Events that are occurring at home (e.g. a loss of a pet or chance of moving) can affect a child’s school performance. It is not our intent to pry; however, it is in the child’s best interest if intervention is needed outside of home. Conferences are a great opportunity for parents and teachers to sit down and share our goals for each child during the year.

HOMEWORK/PRACTICE

We believe homework is important because it provides students with an opportunity to practice what they have learned in school. Homework is given because it teaches responsibility and helps students develop positive study habits.

Homework will be assigned daily. Class work that is not completed during the school day may be sent home as homework that night. In addition, your child will need to complete a daily reading and math facts log. Each child’s red homework folder and assignment notebook should come home every night except Friday. There is no need to sign the assignment notebook unless a previous plan has been made with your teacher. Work that has been completed during the week will go home on Friday in Friday folders. Each Friday graded work should be reviewed and corrected if need be. Friday folders and corrected work should be signed and returned to school on Monday.

If students choose not to do their homework, we will ask that parents begin checking and signing their assignment notebook and completed homework each night. If students still choose not to complete their homework, they also choose to lose certain privileges. If work is not completed or turned in, we use a yellow slip to inform you. Our goal is then to assist the child and get him/her back on track. FOUR slips sent home during a grading period constitutes a detention.

If there is a legitimate reason why a student is not able to finish homework, the parent should send a note to the teacher on the day the homework is due stating the reason it was not completed. The note must be signed by the parent.

Parents are the key to making homework a positive experience for their children. Therefore, we ask that parents make homework a priority, provide necessary supplies and a quiet homework environment, set a daily homework time, provide praise and support, and not let children avoid homework. Please contact us if problems arise.

Parents should help their children with homework if a problem occurs, but only after children have tried their best to solve it on their own. Under no circumstance, however, should parents/siblings do homework for the child. Children are expected to read 20-30 minutes every night. Daily homework assignments should take no longer than 30 minutes. If total homework time is over one hour, please contact your child's teacher.

TIDBITS

Tidbits is our electronic classroom newsletter. This will be sent home via the email address you have given to the school. If you have trouble accessing or receiving Tidbits, please contact your teacher and we will send a hard copy home with your child. Tidbits include highlights of the week and upcoming events/reminders for the upcoming week.

3rd GRADE WEBSITE

The 3rd Grade website is available to you through the Lines School home page: lines. Look for Third Grade Quick Links on your teacher’s homepage. This will include weekly assigned homework (but not the actual worksheet), Tidbits, monthly calendar, etc.

FRIDAY FOLDERS

Weekly work will be reviewed and then sent home for your perusal. Depending on our schedule, the contents may vary from being substantial to a lighter amount. Please clean out the contents during the weekend and return the signed folder on Monday. In the comment section, positive notes to your child are encouraged. This is not a place to write a note to your teacher.

BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

Each class has established their own classroom rules. Each student has pledged to follow these school rules. As a reward incentive, each class has what we call “chance cards.” Chance cards are given out to students for positive behavior. Weekly drawings are made and prizes are given out. It’s a chance for each student to win.

In third grade, we focus on problem solving skills. It is extremely important for the students to learn to make decisions, as well as, make their own choices. At this age, conflicts will be common, and we are striving for the students to solve problems on their own and to become independent thinkers.

Our classes have read the book, Have you Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. This book encourages positive behavior as children see how easy it is to express kindness and appreciation on a daily basis. We will focus on teaching the children to be "bucket fillers".

The Lines staff implements two management systems to reinforce our expectations and promote respectful relationships based upon the book Setting Limits in the Classroom, by Dr. Robert MacKenzie.

Two Stage Time Out System

The first system is a two stage time out process. If a student is being disruptive or not following expectations they may be assigned a Stage One time out. This time out can occur in a designated area within the classroom, the cafeteria, or on the playground. A Stage One time out generally lasts about five minutes for primary students (grade k-2) and 10 minutes for intermediate students (grades 3-5). During the time out, students may continue to do their work and engage in instruction. A Stage Two Time Out will be assigned for repeated behaviors or major infractions. A Stage Two time out will occur outside of the child's classroom, in a designated classroom, typically in a different grade level. A Stage Two time out will generally last between 5-10 minutes for primary students and about 20 minutes for intermediate students. Also, in a Stage Two time out, students can bring their work to the other designated classroom. During Stage Two time outs that occur within the cafeteria and playground, student may reflect, in written form, upon their decisions and actions that led to the consequence.

PAT Positive Incentive System

Preferred Activity Time (PAT) is a group incentive system in which students can earn one of our most valuable resources—the gift of time! PAT encourages accountability and team building as two important components of the system. In this system, the class can earn bonus time for on-task and positive behaviors and can incur penalties for off-task or negative behaviors. After a predetermined amount of time by the teacher, students will have the ability to choose a preferred activity (within teacher guidelines) to complete, based upon time earned inside and outside of the classroom. Classrooms can also earn PAT time for positive behaviors at specials, recess, lunch, and in hallways, which will be applied to their classroom PAT minutes.

LITERACY BLOCK

READING

Our main goal in third grade has shifted from learning to read to reading to learn. Comprehension is key to success in third grade. Our reading is based on the reading program, Making Meaning, and the use of our school literature library. The reading comprehension objectives include: understanding text structure, wondering/questioning, visualizing, making inferences, determining important ideas, summarizing, using schema/making connections and synthesizing. We will also work on vocabulary building, decoding long words, cause and effect, word relationships, prefixes and suffixes, and fact and opinion. The children will be exposed to the elements of non-fiction text this year. It is important for the students to understand the text in front of them and learn how to locate information. In the classroom, you will find us reading in whole groups and small groups. We will be implementing the Daily 5 structure during guided reading group instruction to ensure success. We encourage 20-30 minutes of reading per night at home. In addition to our reading curriculum, students will have an opportunity to take Accelerated Reader tests.

SPELLING

Our spelling program will focus on developmental pattern words, high frequency words, words from their writing and vocabulary. All students will be exposed to grade level patterned words and spelling strategies, while studying words at their own developmental level. Spelling will be connected to reading and writing and we will encourage students to take ownership of their learning. Throughout the week, various activities have been developed to assist the children as they work and learn the spelling patterns. Students will be assessed by weekly spelling tests and by examining their transference into their written work. Spelling tests will be given every Friday so that the child has the opportunity to practice over the weekend. Spelling is not just memorization, spelling uses strategies. The children are also encouraged to proofread their daily spelling by circling the words they are unsure of and by using a dictionary or electronic device. Spelling tests will begin in October.

CURSIVE

In third grade, the children will learn to develop and extend their cursive writing skills. The students are encouraged to utilize and incorporate these writing skills into their daily writing assignments mid year. Cursive will be part of your child's weekly homework.

WRITING

Being a Writer /Lucy Calkins is our writing program. The writing program consists of a variety of different writing experiences and projects. We will be working on the writing process through narrative, informational and opinion writing. Creative writing is also promoted through journals, as well as, poetry. During writing, our goal is to work on the different types of writing while emphasizing correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and proofreading skills. There will be an expectation that writing not completed in class will need to be finished at home.

SPECIALS

Third Graders have specials every day. Each class visits P.E., Music, Art, and Media Center. Third graders have specials in the morning. A schedule of your child’s specials is included in this handbook.

COMPUTERS

Our 3rd grade COW (computers on wheels) will be used as a tool to enhance classroom learning. Some of the programs the children will be working on include: Custom Typing, Compass Learning, Math Facts in a Flash, and Accelerated Reader. You will be able to access some of these programs at home. Log in information will be sent home.

LUNCH/RECESS

The children will go to lunch from 12:25-12:45pm. and have recess from 12:45-1:05pm. Please remember to dress your child appropriately for the weather. We will go outside unless the air/wind temperature falls below 0°. The office staff closely monitors weather conditions.

READ ALOUD

Read Aloud is a time for the teachers to read a book to the class. The children are exposed to a variety of authors and different types of genres. Each third grade teacher will take turns reading a book to the classes. Children will have an opportunity to respond to the reading in a journal.

IDR/INTERVENTION BLOCK

Each afternoon, the children will read independently (IDR-Individualized Daily Reading). This is an opportunity for the children to quietly read a book of their choice at their appropriate reading level.

Also, students who have been identified as needing extra assistance in any subject area will receive additional instruction during this time. This may occur outside of the classroom. This is part of the national RTI (response to intervention) initiative.

MATH

In Math in Focus-Singapore Math, the focus will be on a deeper understanding of math skills and concepts. Our students will spend more time thinking about problem solving. It’s not ONLY the answer that is important; it’s that children strengthen their understanding and reasoning as they go through the program. We hope to increase student stamina and perseverance in thinking and in mathematics. With Math in Focus, students are taught to achieve mastery. Mastery does not mean just knowing the algorithm. Each year is built upon what the students have learned in the previous years. We will not spend too much time on reviewing. Mastery may not look the same for every child.

The curriculum is based on a progression using manipulatives and real-world objects – to a pictorial stage – and, finally, to the abstract or algorithm stage. This sequence gives a solid understanding of basic mathematical concepts and relationships before they start working at the abstract level. Don’t confuse easy with foundational.

Math in Focus provides teachers a way to scaffold to meet the needs of the diverse math students in our classrooms. One approach that will look different to you is the Bar Model or Model Drawing approach to solving problems. This is taught as one method of problem solving. This powerful method of visualization is important for student understanding in number sense and the relationship of numbers.

In addition to our math program, we will work on mastering math facts. Weekly addition, subtraction, multiplication and division timed tests are given to strengthen basic facts. The students will be using a computerized program called Math Facts in a Flash during computer time to take their timed tests. Students may also practice paper and pencil tests. We will also provide you with a login for Home Connect which will allow your child to practice math facts at home. This is a daily homework expectation.

SOCIAL STUDIES

In social studies, four different units are studied. The year begins with mapping skills. As the year progresses, we will focus on the history, government, and geography of Illinois, Chicago, and Barrington.

SCIENCE

The three main units of study in science include: Life Structures, Force and Motion, and The Solar System. The hands-on modules are utilized for science experiments and cooperative learning experiences. We focus on real life measurement concepts. We will compare and contrast our findings through classroom experiments. Students will organize data they have collected and utilize this information to draw conclusions and build knowledge.

SOCIAL SKILLS

Our social skills program is Second Steps. This program will help children improve their skills for learning, empathy, emotion management, and problem solving.

HEALTH

Our new health curriculum will focus on Nutrition. The students will be learning about the food plate and the importance of eating healthy foods.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

STAR STUDENT

The students will have the opportunity to get acquainted with each other through our weekly "Star Student". The purpose of this activity is to promote self-concept, enhance self-esteem and to further develop questioning skills. This is a special time for your child, as it also gives us an opportunity to get to know our classmates. Information will be sent home prior to your child's week. Birthday treats are not allowed per district policy.

SNACKS

Third graders eat a snack daily in the morning. We recommend a healthy snack to eat. Items such as fruit, granola/fruit bars, or cut up vegetables would be great! The children eat while they are working. “Non-messy” snacks are encouraged. ( You will be notified if your child's classroom is peanut-free.

ABSENCES

If your child is sick, we will send home missed work after two days. Please request your child’s work to be sent home, and it will be left on the bench outside the office at the end of the school day.

VACATION TRAVEL

Per district policy we will not send work home with your child ahead of time if you are going on vacation. Any work missed should be made up upon your child’s return.

TESTING

This year your child will experience district and state testing. This will give a picture of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. COGAT testing will begin in the beginning part of September. The children will be given The MAPS computerized assessment in reading and math. The MAPS test is administered in November and is used to chart your child’s progress. We will also be administering PARCC (The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) in March and May. More information regarding specific dates will be sent home prior to testing time.

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